


Whispered

by missema



Series: Allyse Shepard, Space Cadet [17]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Comfort, Duty, F/M, Love, Stress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-18
Updated: 2012-05-18
Packaged: 2017-11-05 14:16:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/407372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missema/pseuds/missema
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Shenko drabble showing the much needed balance Kaidan gives Allyse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Whispered

"Thank you, Commander."  
  
"Commander Shepard, do you have a moment?"  
  
"Hey, Shepard."  
  
"Commander, if I could direct your attention over here."  
  
"That's Commander Shepard, the first human Spectre."  
  
Emails, meetings, missions.  Even on the Citadel, everyone called her Commander Shepard.  A thousand people called her name, despite what she may have wanted.  All of the people, everyone, they looked at her like those marines did, the ones that saluted her when she bought them a drink with Vega down in Purgatory.  Even Aria T'Loak called her Commander from time to time.  
  
If she were the type to believe the hype, she might honestly think she was the legendary _Commander Shepard_ now, a figure larger than life, leading the galaxy into a battle that can't be won.  The news stories could fill her head with the heroics of the missions she went on, and she could no longer recount the amount of breathless thanks that she'd gotten from the people she saved.  As if it weren't her job.  
  
But Allyse, knew better.  She was never less than gracious, but she knew.  There were people that she didn't save, missions that failed and times that people were rightfully angry with her.  There was Aratoht, there were eight ships missing from the Alliance fleet, turian ships that had been destroyed, sons and daughters that never came back.  There was Ashley and Virmire, there was Eden Prime, way back in the beginning, before anyone cared who Commander Shepard was.  
  
Outside, she was Commander Shepard, but Allyse never felt like she could live up to that title, the accolades and honors.  She took her victories and losses in stride, hoping each time that she could do better, do more.  There were nights now when she sat awake, going over her every movement, wishing that she could have convinced more people, sooner, done more to warn about this invasion.  Her mind wouldn't turn off, and she had long since outgrown her habit of chewing on her nails, but she didn't sleep well, even with Kaidan's reassuring bulk wrapped around her.  
  
"Unless there's something else, I'm going off-duty, Traynor."  
  
"Nothing else, Commander.  Goodnight."  She nodded at the specialist, and headed for the elevator.  It took her to her cabin without instruction, and she knew EDI had taken pity on her.  
  
Kaidan was sitting on the couch, reading when she came in.  He'd been waiting for her, and it made her smile.  In her cabin, alone, they were equals, a doting loving couple.  Just Kaidan, just Allyse.  It was what she waited for at the end of each day.  
  
"In the mess, or up here?"  He asked.   
  
"Here.  I'm feeling it tonight."  Shepard made a face, indicating her fatigue and he nodded in understanding before leaving to get their dinner.  
  
They ate in relative silence, and fell into an easy, comfortable sleep.  Her palm slid against his bare chest at some point during the night, and he shifted underneath her.  He was awake, and so was she.    
  
The kiss started out gentle, sleepy, and soft but turned into something deeper.  When he pushed inside of her, it was still warm and slow, movements made fuzzy with the outline of slumber, but deliberate.  He used to ask what she needed, what she wanted, but he knew now.  To be, just be with him, as any other person in love would.  The rest was just mechanics that he had long since mastered, preferences that he'd already discovered.  
  
" _Allyse_."  Kaidan's moan was a whisper into her shoulder as he came.  He was the only person that ever called her by her name.


End file.
